What Was Hidden Chapter 3
by Dee-lusions
Summary: Sakujun continues his game with Shuurei, but finds there may be more at stake than just some fun. Please enjoy.  Constructive crits welcome, please comment. ,


Title: What Was Hidden Chapt 3  
Genre: Romance/None  
Rating: Fiction Rated: T  
Summary: A story of what might have happen during that journey betweenSakujun and Shuurei. This is my 1st fanfict ever and 1st of Yura Kairi's Saiunkoku Monogatari.  
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Chapter 3

"Stay here and rest. I'll get some medicine for your foot."

Shuurei held herself stiffly away from him as he carried her to the bed and tried to scramble away as soon as he set her down.

"Stay still or are you afraid of me?" Sakujun clamped a hand on her shoulder, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist a challenge. He had to hide a smile when she settled back with a huff.

A servant brought in a bowl of water and cloths and some food. Sakujun poured some water in a cup and dropped in a few drops of liquid from a vial. Noticing that the servants had forgotten to include utensils, he stirred the drink with his finger.

As he turned, he saw Shuurei watching him suspiciously. With deliberate care, Sakujun put his finger to his lips and licked it. Still staring at her, he brought the cup to his mouth and took a swallow. The delicate flavor of honey and orange flavored the water.

"The flavoring is an internal medicine against infection. Drink this and rest while I go and get something for the cut on your ankle."

"Look here, Senya, I appreciate everything, really, but I have to go." Shuurei got to her feet and wobbled. "If you'll just give me my things, I won't burden you further."

_My, my, my feisty little kitten's showing me her fangs and claws. You should learn to pick your battles a bit better, but that's part of your charm, isn't it?_ Sakujun almost smiled.

"You're good at negotiating. Let's compromise. You drink this, rest, and let me take care of your ankle and I'll give you the erhu back." Sakujun held up the cup of water.

"Keep the erhu and give me my belongings." Shurrei hobbled toward the doorway.

Sakujun blocked her way and smiled. He made sure that he didn't touch her, knowing he would lose the argument if he did. "Now, you're not being very diplomatic, _Kourin_. We need to negotiate the price of your release." Sakujun paused as if he were thinking. "Let me sweeten the deal. Drink this and let me clean your wound and bind it. Then you'll have your belongings and be free to leave."

Shuurei eyed him and glanced at the cup. She looked closer at his eyes for a moment then leaned back thoughtfully. "Okay, we can do it but only if I'm sitting at the table."

Her sentence ended in a shriek as Sakujun lifted her and carried her to a chair. "Agreed. Here, drink this," he said as he pushed the cup in her hand and dropped to a knee.

Sakujun didn't let his concern show as he studied her face. _Unfocused eyes and shallow breathing that have nothing to do with my proximity. Fast heartbeat not caused by my embrace or kiss._

As if reading his mind, Shuurei's right eyebrow started to twitch. "Now see here, I am…"

"Drink up, Kourin, or you'll never gain your belongings or your freedom."

He laid a hand on her knee, which was promptly slapped away even as she followed his instructions and sipped cautiously at the drink.

Out of her sight, he held his knife over a small candle with the other hand. _I can feel Shuurei's temperature through her clothing. Whoever attacked her must have used a poison. _

Poisons and drugs were a specialty of his, but he'd have to be able examine her. As it was, she was all fangs and claws. A few days ago he wouldn't have hesitated to just pin her to the bed…

Sakujun shook his head and pushed the thought away. Instead, he grabbed Shuurei's injured leg and pushed her skirts up to knee knowing that she would protest at the indecency.

With her distracted by his playful moves, Sakujun reopened the cut with the sterilized knife. Shuurei gasped and dug her nails into his hand that she'd been trying to pry from her knee. He grunted as her sharp claws drew blood, but focused on forcing as much blood to flow from the shallow cut.

Suddenly, Shuurei's hands fell away from his and she slowly tipped sideways. Catching her, Sakujun carried the sleeping girl to the bed.

"Finally, you're asleep. You should have drunk the preparation a little faster, kitten. It would have made bearing the pain a little easier. Although, most men would have screamed at that kind of pain, you just gasped. What a fierce little cat." Sakujun laughed lightly.

After summoning a doctor, Sakujun watched Shuurei sleep. Sighing inwardly, he felt some of his tension ease.

Sakujun froze. _Tension? Concern?_ It had been years since he'd cared about another person. Yet, this girl seemed to pull those kinds of emotions from the blackest pits of his soul. In the short time he'd known her, Shuurei'd uncovered some of the faults he thought he'd eliminated growing up as a Sa clan member.

A line had been crossed that Sakujun had created long ago in the past. Without knowing it, Shuurei had taken a dare. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Sakujun looked down at his sleeping prey.

_My my, little kitten, you've gone and woken a sleeping cobra. Now that you have my attention, what will you do? It's time we start to dance. Will you be able to keep up with me?_ Sakujun smiled coldly and tapped his lips with his finger.

Sakujun strolled the marketplace casually perusing the stalls, but searching intently for telltale signs of Shuurei's attacker. He'd left Shurrei sleeping with several guards around the house and at the door of her room. No doubt she'd be angry if she woke before he returned, but her safety was foremost.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sakujun caught a flash of red. _Interesting. I may have no need to worry after all._ Smiling, he turned to go back to Shuurei, but the gleam of metal caught his eye.

The hairpins display they'd passed earlier lay before him. Pausing, he looked at the silver ones Shuurei had wanted. Of course, they stood apart from the rest because of their lack of ornamentation.

_Completely like the one who wants to own them_. Sakujun thought as he caressed one lightly with a fingertip. _This could be a peace offering if the kitten wakes while I'm away._

_Now we start our dance, kitten. Will you take my hand or play coy? _

So far, Shuurei had dangled just out of his reach, teasing him with the promise of warm reward—if only he could catch her.

_Of course, it wouldn't be interesting if I didn't have to tame you. Let's see, her stockings were ripped, shoes need replacing, and the dress was never more than a rag…_

Sakujun stopped for a moment. Normally, he wouldn't even think about women's clothing, just allow them to order whatever they wanted for themselves. The idea of order things for Shuurei was interesting, but a voice of warning had begun shouting in his head.

…"_Practical, penny-pinching, shrewd, and always kind and loving to anyone around her, that's Shurrei, my boy." _Great Uncle Sa had told him a few months before they'd quit speaking. _"She'd make any man a suitable bride, but she's destined for far more. Cherish the time you'll have with her and you will find what was hidden."…_

With a snort, Sakujun looked at the mountain of things the attendants were carrying.

After purchasing the hairpins, Sakujun returned to the room. Since Shuurei continued to sleep, he left again to find some way to waste the time he now found on his hands. He wandeed the streets, not paying attention to where he was going and found himself in front of Tomio's teahouse.

_My, my, twice in one day. Tomio will be delighted to see me. _Sakujun frowned slightly. He'd promised to bring a replacement set for the one he'd broken earlier, but he'd yet to fulfill that promise.

He returned to the marketplace. _It seems to be that today I play the housewife with all the errands. _He thought as he found a pottery merchant. Perusing the different styles, a memory tickled the edges of Sakujun's mind.

When his eyes landed on a replica of the cup he'd broken that morning, pieces of forgotten memory fell into place.

_That's right, I bought the set for him the first time when I opened the teahouse for him. _Sakujun turned away from the set that matched the old one.

Several tables away a black set with lilies caught his eye. _Tomio should learn that things in life are fleeting._ With a wave of his fan, Sakujun set the store attendants in motion, ordering them to pack the black set and deliver it to the teahouse.

Tired of watching the scurrying peasants, Sakujun started to leave. However, a brown set with wild roses carved into it caught his eye, even though it was hidden in a corner. Bare of intricate painting and inlays, the set had been carved, its body rubbed in ash, and the roses left in relief. Sakujun held one of the cups up and turned to compare its sister sets. They were cheap whores paling in comparison to its simple beauty.

Sakujun smiled, then laughed. _This is getting interesting, I'm starting to see things the way she does. It could be problematic if I lose all sense of refinement._ He paused, narrowing his eyes in thought. _However, the more I think like her, the sooner __I'll figure her out and then I will move on to something new. _

He purchased the rose set and carried it with him to Tomio's.


End file.
